Judges at the International Criminal Court on Thursday upheld crimes against humanity charges against former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte over the deadly anti-drug campaign carried out during his time in office.
A three-judge panel said there are “substantial grounds” to believe Duterte was responsible for numerous killings, both during his tenure as mayor of Davao and later as president from 2016 to 2022.
Duterte, now 80, was arrested in the Philippines last year and has denied all allegations.
In a 50-page ruling, the judges stated that evidence suggests he “developed, spread, and enforced” a policy aimed at eliminating suspected criminals.
Prosecutors allege that police officers and hit squads carried out killings on Duterte’s orders starting in 2011, often driven by financial rewards or fear of becoming targets themselves.
During pretrial hearings in February, deputy prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang described the violence as, in some cases, turning into a “disturbing form of competition.”
Estimates of the death toll vary widely, ranging from over 6,000 reported by national police to as many as 30,000 claimed by human rights organizations.
Duterte’s lead defence lawyer, Nick Kaufman, criticized the decision, arguing it relies on unverified testimonies from self-confessed killers acting as cooperating witnesses.
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